What to Do When You Get a Bad Review: A Step-by-Step Playbook for Dental Practices
It happens to every dental practice eventually.
You log in to your Google Business Profile, expecting another 5-star review… and instead, you find a scathing 1-star comment. Maybe it’s about billing. Maybe it’s about “rude front desk staff.” Maybe it’s something that never even happened.
Either way, it stings. And worse — it’s public.
In an industry built on trust, a single negative review can feel like a blow to your reputation. But here’s the truth: bad reviews don’t have to be a disaster.
In fact, how you respond matters more than the review itself.
This guide is your no-fluff, SEO-optimized, dentist-specific playbook for exactly what to do — and what not to do — when a bad review shows up.
🧠 Why Bad Reviews Happen (Even If You're Running a Great Practice)
Before we dive into tactics, it’s important to reframe how you think about negative reviews.
Not all 1-star reviews are fair.
In many cases, they’re:
- Emotionally charged
- Based on miscommunication
- Left by people who never even received care (yes, that’s a thing)
But fair or not, they’re real in the eyes of potential patients.
Here’s why people leave bad reviews of dental practices:
- Confusion about pricing or insurance coverage
- Anxiety-related discomfort (common with nervous patients)
- Misunderstood wait times or rescheduling issues
- Feeling rushed or unheard during a visit
- Staff tone or front desk interactions
- Disagreements over billing or procedure necessity
Important: It’s not always clinical quality that’s being judged — it’s the experience around the care.
🔎 Step 1: Don’t React Emotionally
Your first instinct might be to defend yourself. To argue. To correct the patient publicly.
Don’t.
Even if the review is wildly inaccurate, an emotional reply will only make things worse. Every word you post becomes part of the public record — and will be seen by future patients.
Instead:
- Take a breath
- Read it carefully
- Look at it from the patient’s perspective
Tip: Never respond within the first 30 minutes of reading a negative review. Give yourself time to remove emotion from the equation.
📋 Step 2: Investigate Internally Before Responding
Before jumping to conclusions or posting a reply:
- Check your patient records
- Speak to your staff
- Verify what actually happened
It’s crucial to know whether the complaint is legitimate or fabricated.
If it's real:
- Identify what led to the negative experience
- Consider what could have been done better
If it’s false or exaggerated:
- Look for signs of mistaken identity or review spam (common in healthcare)
- Prepare a calm and professional way to clarify without sounding defensive
💬 Step 3: Craft a Professional, Empathetic Public Response
When you're ready to respond publicly, your goal is to show future patients you care and handle concerns professionally.
Here’s a response template that works well:
“Hi [Name], we’re sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate you taking the time to share it. We always aim to provide high-quality, comfortable care and are disappointed to hear we missed the mark. We’d like the opportunity to make things right — please feel free to call our office directly at [phone number] so we can discuss this further.”
🔑 Key Principles:
- Stay professional, even if the review is unfair
- Acknowledge their feelings (without admitting wrongdoing)
- Take the conversation offline whenever possible
- Show future patients that you’re listening and proactive
Even if the reviewer never replies, your response is now a public display of empathy and professionalism.
📉 Step 4: Don’t Try to Get It Removed Unless It Violates Policy
Can you remove bad reviews? Sometimes — but only under strict conditions.
Google allows removal of reviews that are:
- Spam or fake
- Off-topic or irrelevant
- Hate speech or harassment
- Contain personal info or threats
To flag a review:
- Go to your Google Business Profile
- Find the review
- Click the three-dot menu
- Select “Flag as inappropriate” and explain the issue
⚠️ Do not report a review just because you disagree with it. That can backfire.
If the review violates Google’s terms and is clearly false, it may get removed — but it can take weeks, and there’s no guarantee.
📈 Step 5: Dilute the Negative with a Steady Flow of Positives
This is the most powerful strategy.
One bad review looks a lot worse when it’s one of five.
But when it’s surrounded by 100+ glowing testimonials? It barely registers.
This is where your review system matters most.
Dentists who actively collect feedback after every visit can:
- Push down negative reviews in the list
- Outrank competitors in Google Maps
- Build trust despite an occasional complaint
Pro Tip: The best defense against a bad review is 20 good ones.
👨⚕️ Real Example: How One Negative Review Almost Cost a Practice 30 New Patients
Dr. J had a 4.9 Google rating and 86 reviews.
Then one day, a former patient left a 1-star review claiming she was “overcharged,” and the “staff was rude” — despite the fact the appointment happened over 6 months earlier and all billing was accurate.
Dr. J ignored it at first. But a few weeks later, he noticed a drop in new patient calls. When his office manager asked a few leads why they didn’t book, one said:
“I saw something about rude staff and billing issues… wasn’t sure.”
One review changed perception.
After implementing a daily review collection system through our Ai powered Google review stand, the practice added 40+ 5-star reviews in 60 days — and buried the 1-star review deep down. The result? Patient calls bounced back and surpassed previous highs.
✅ Step 6: Train Your Team on Review Triggers
The front desk team and hygienists interact with patients the most. Train them to:
- Recognize “review moments” (e.g., patient compliments, relief, laughter)
- Gently guide patients to leave a review right then
- Offer language like:
“If you had a good visit, would you mind leaving a quick review? It really helps us out.”
With the right process in place, you’ll naturally generate more positive feedback — and reduce the sting of the occasional negative one.
🧠 Common Myths About Bad Reviews (And What to Do Instead)
❌ “If I ignore it, it’ll go away.”
Not true. Silence makes you look careless. Always respond professionally.
❌ “If I respond, it’ll validate the review.”
Not if you do it right. A good response shows strength, not weakness.
❌ “We can just delete our listing and start over.”
Google doesn’t forget. Restarting loses all your existing reviews and signals.
📊 Bonus: How Bad Reviews Affect Google Maps Rankings
Google’s local search algorithm looks at:
- Total number of reviews
- Average rating
- Review recency and frequency
- Use of keywords in review content
- Review responses and engagement
One bad review won’t tank your ranking — but if your volume is low, it can hurt more than you realize.
That’s why dentists with ongoing review strategies consistently:
- Rank in the “3-Pack” for local searches
- Get more clicks from “near me” searches
- Outperform competitors even if they have a similar star rating
🛠️ Review Response Checklist for Dental Practices
Before you hit “reply” to any negative review, ask:
✅ Did I remove emotion from the response?
✅ Am I showing empathy without admitting fault?
✅ Did I invite the reviewer to contact us directly?
✅ Will this response build trust with future patients?
✅ Does it align with our tone and professionalism?
If the answer is yes across the board — post it.
📣 Key Takeaways: The Smart Way to Handle Bad Reviews
- Don’t panic — every practice gets one eventually
- Respond like a pro — future patients are watching
- Use bad reviews as fuel — to improve systems and collect more good ones
- Never stop collecting feedback — momentum protects your reputation
🚀 Final Word
You don’t need to fear bad reviews — you just need to own the process.
Because in modern dentistry, your reputation doesn’t live at the front desk anymore. It lives online — where new patients are reading, deciding, and booking.
When you’ve got the right response strategy — and a steady stream of 5-star feedback coming in — one bad review won’t define you. It’ll disappear in a sea of trust.
Want to learn more?